1956 Aquadream--guess it's a project after all

[Gone Kayaking]

I purchased what I thought was a 1956 1500 from a woman in Oregon. She had indicated that the trailer had belonged to the family of the original owner until she had recently acquired it. She has a bit of a business of sprucing up trailers and reselling. Claimed this one was in amazing original condition...she'd clean it up for me --fix a bit of water damage to paneling, put in a new floor and sew up some curtains, install a new vent and re-seal all seams. Assured me that there were no current leaks. Happy Camper I, ready for a trailer I could camp in and slowly upgrade along the way.

Well after our first rainstorm, sure enough, noticed water stains at the roof vent, and damp wood in all four corners. Guessing I better have a closer look.
What I found I was not ready for. The PO had paneled over but not fixed anything. Not a happy camper was I. She had put in a new roof vent but failed to properly seal the opening.

So now I'm doing a partial re build. And now that the anger has subsided I'm getting into it. So far have removed the area around the roof vent, and torn off the back of the trailer down to the frame. All of this WILL get fixed by April 10, our trip to Kernville for our annual spring kayaking week and whitewater festival.

Along with that, will flip the ubolt on the axle, install a fantastic fan (might as well right?), make sure the wiring is all good, install a battery and new fuse box, and add a water tank.

Gonna be a busy 6 weeks! Hoping to barter some help from friends with skills. I'll be asking lots of questions.



Link to the tear down is at
s96.photobucket.com/albums/l189/benmy/Shasta%20Restoration%20pics/

[flyingham]

Sorry to see the carnage, this however, is a great illustration for anyone looking to purchase an old camper. If you see water stains (and you will, everyone of these campers has leaked), the real problems lay in what you cannot see.

Of course it's repairable, it just takes a ton of effort. It is totally worth it after the repairs! The sun will shine again on another great Shasta rebuild

[diamondrelics]

So sorry to hear about your old gal. I gueass now is as good a time as any to fix her right. At least you'll know it really got done. I'm in the vintage car business and see ALOT of that. We call it a "turd in a fur coat" lol. A car that supposedly was restored but really only re sculptured with bondo. When I bought Coralee the lady said she didn't leak. I took one look at her interior and thought maybe she had been through a flood. No small leak just a river. Some people. I wish you luck. Shes such a cute little trailer thats going to be so much happier with you.
Tanya and Coralee

[Gone Kayaking]

More work completed yesterday. Wondering whether to pull all the bottom panels, cabinets, and just fix everything for once and for all. First though gotta make sure I have a good template for the back, since it wasn't a systematic demo.

Have a shelter on order so I don't have to tarp up everyday. The subfloor under that nice new checkerboard vct tile that the po put in is sagging beneath the plywood sheeting......decisions decisions.....
pictures when I have em

[safetybruce]

We all feel your pain...unscrupulus sellers and mis-representation to drive the selling price up is certainly fraud. But at least that little Shasta has found a caring owner. The pride of ownership and the compliments you are sure to receive (and envy) should help to assuage your initial anger. At least you will know she has been rebuilt right when you are finished and at that point you have not officially changed her name to Aquanightmare. I'd say please treat this as just a bump in the road, but maybe I should say when you emerge from the rebuild, congratulations for surviving that encounter with that sinkhole in the road. Maintain your sense of humor at this point letting it overshadow your sense of irony. You truly have a sought after example of Shasta history.

[cowcharge]

Gotta love POs, huh?

[vikx]

Klamath Falls, right? You're not the first one....

It hurts me to see people paying good money for these "repaired" trailers. It gives us all a bad name. Any of us trying to do decent repairs are always suspect.

So Sorry Gone Kayaking. At least you'll have a good one when done.

[Gone Kayaking]

Thanks for all the support folks! I am not really angry any more (except when I find something else to get angry about). I'm now into the journey, and hoping it will not be too bumpy. I am so grateful for all the help I find here, and wish had found you all sooner.
I have however just posted a yelp review on the business that sold me this trailer, as a warning to others. And I am asking Brian if there can be a section in Marketplace to keep a list of unscrupulous rehabbers.

[safetybruce]

Glad you reported them. I remember occasionally seeing a car sitting in someone's yard or at the corner of a busy intersection in Central Florida where I grew, up that would have one of those big signs plastered on it...This Car Is A Lemon and I bought it From...(fill in the blank). Don't see that anymore, because there is always some attorney that will immediately contact the seller named, and go after you for defamation and slander, and in many states it is illegal to tape a sales-pitch without the sales person's knowledge and permission.

Plus, when you get finished with Aquadream's cosmetic surgery, Dr. Gone Kayaking, no one would believe that beautiful little gal was ever anything but that...

[vikx]

I like the idea of a place to post unscrupulous dealings... We've had three posts lately about them. Mainly the restoration manual and tail lights the one guy did and above; plus there was the way spendy *museum* quality ebay trailer...

That being said, I don't think we should bash anyone. Just state the facts for members to know. That might be a fine line not to cross.

[Gone Kayaking]

Well I made some headway over the weekend. My kreg jig got it's first workout framing in the new ceiling supports. I almost finished skinning the trailer all along the bottom half. The damage is not as bad as I'd feared along the sides, and I'm not all the way around to the front to see how bad it is up there. I'm remaining optimistic that I'll be able to get it done in time for the Kern River Festival trip April 11. Joe K came over on Saturday and gave it a look too, and confirmed that it's not so bad. I'll have some more pics up soon.

[Gone Kayaking]

Update on progress over past couple of weeks!! ;D

Tore off rest of the skin...Good news, no new surprises. Will replace frame around wheel wells with single 1x12 pine cut to fit. Replace framing at corners at front. Here she is without her skin from the neck down.





my new view out the front!


close ups of the conditions




Floor in front. Not planning to replace. will reinforce from below as it's holding together just sagging and well because if I did that it would be a TOTAL REBUILD and I'm just not ready for that. we need to go camping this summer.

[Gone Kayaking]

FANTASTIC FAN INSTALLED!! with new ceiling supports inside.
PO who sold me the trailer had installed a new vent, but oops didn't seal it properly so guess what had been leaking and rotting for a few months. I was able to pick up a deal on a NEW 3 spd fantastic fan with reverse for $100 from someone on TCT. Installed new oak 1x2s for strength and aluminum bars on sides for overkill. Here are pics. First outing with Kreg jig. Didn't realize the screws were coarse thread...and got some splits...but not so bad I had to start over.
This was all very easy and gave me a lot of confidence that I can do this. Not finding the pics of the framing will take more, but here it is installed from the inside



and outside. butyl putty under, vulkem around the seam, and on top of screw heads. I'm not planning on removing this EVER!!

[Nashville Ken]

Lots of work accomplished, your doing well. Just a pointer; the oak (or any wood)supports in the ceiling, always make sure the wood grain is run in a horizontal position for optimal strength and support. Keep up the good work, I have enjoyed watching your progress.

[Gone Kayaking]

Oak was 1x2 lengths purchased from Local lumber yard...sure seemed to me that the grain was going the right way (lengthwise). And that's how I've got the framing planks marked. Or do you mean when I buy it select pieces that really have the grain running longwise...I can see where you are talking about that it looks a bit diagonal

[jessie]

Looks like you and I are in similar parts of our rebuilds!! We just dry-fitted the Fantastic fan today, but fell short of actually installing it just yet. Thanks for sharing the pictures of your install! It will definitely help. And way to go on your progress!! Great job on everything so far!

[Nashville Ken]

The picture of the fantastic fan; the 2 long side to side supports are cut as 1"X2". Had the rough wood been rotated (rolled) another 90* then cut, with the long wood grain on a horizontal plane as you faced it, you would have optimum strength. However, since there is no roof mount AC until, you'll be fine. I hope Im making sense here. Not trying to nit pick, just trying to be helpful.

[Gone Kayaking]

More progress today.... I am officially taking sick days when it's not raining cause it's making me sick to see my poor trailer naked! Anyhow, got lots of Kreg jig work done on the back today, and just a little more demo (street side wheel well). Does anyone have a thought about whether using these pocket screws which makes everything so solid is actually making the trailer too stiff to handle the bumps etcs of actually going somewhere. It struck me that the rather loose assembly technique employed at the factory might have been intentional. But I am perfectly willing to continue to believe that the guys at the factory just not that exact about anything. pics tomorrow--forgot to take any.

[flyingham]

I think the sloppy assembly gets back to profit. Get as many out the door as quick as possible. It would have taken too long to get them assembled using a Kreg. Less units out the door. They look like they were built to last less than 10 years. My 2cents.

[Gone Kayaking]

Survived the windstorm last night (mostly) and beefed up anchoring for the shelter, No building today I tweaked my back yesterday. But did some measuring, and went to the lumberyard to look at subfloor options -- homasote, celetex, rigid foam, and plywood.
Homasote-- is much denser than celetex.
Celetex-- looks like it would fall apart easily.
Flyingham I know you used celetex for the subfloor in yours but jeez that stuff really seems like it would fall apart when it gets wet.
Rigid Foam (the kind with the aluminum on both sides) my yard doesn't carry 1/2 inch and they were skeptical about this application
3/4 inch cdx plywood....

The area I need to cover is smaller than 4x8 so one piece would do it. No seams, except where it connects to the old stuff.

As you can see I am still debating what to put down on the floor first. I'm leaning back towards straight CDX plywood now with somehting like truck bed liner sprayed on the bottom. Suppose I could spay that on the bottom of the celetex too.

My April 11 deadline is seeming sketchy unless I take some sick days and get some help.

[flyingham]

I only used Celetex because it looked exactly like the original. It was against the frame, exposed to the under side. Then the plywood goes over it for a double layer floor. Not sure why they did it this way, but it lasted better than the wood floor on top of it (the original stuff).

If it looked this good since '62.... well...

[Gone Kayaking]

Yeah I had/have the same stuff under mine, and then the ply on top. Except taht it looks like it was impregnated with some kind of tar or oil to resist water. The new celetex doesn't have that. I agree it held up a long time. Mine was pretty degraded though and why I had to tear it out.

I think the moisture that built up on the inside from leaks is worse on the wood than whatever happens on the outside, as that has a chance to dry out pretty quickly.

[Ian]

Glad to see you're making headway. We also looked at a trailer being sold by a young woman here just outside of Portland. I wasn't willing to pay top dollar for a trailer with vintage tires, and little more than decorating inside. I wonder if it was the same woman.

Did you pick it up or did she deliver?

Good luck with yours!

[Gone Kayaking]

A little more progress. Subfloor has been dryfit front and back. Will add butyl based flashing to underside before it's attached.



Went with the homasote. Bought foam insulation, and birchply too. Trying to figure out how exactly the get back to the way things are supposed to fit together given the modifications/"repairs" made by the previous owner (not the seller). bit by bit. Also got the quilt back from the quilter.

[Gremlinguy]

Coming along nice.

[safetybruce]

You are doing a great job on her. She sure was lucky to get you as her new owner!

[Gone Kayaking]

Thanks Bruce, Well, now I've just realized that something is wrong with the frame in the back. I went to line up the curbside skin to make sure that it was all lining up and have realized that curbside is about 3/4 of an inch higher that the streetside, and it's all out of kilter. This would explain why i couldn't open the baggage door when I was doing demo. I'm going to have a friend who is a welder come by and take a look. I'm hoping it is something stupid that I'm overlooking.

[mindy]

OM Gosh! I am so impressed by what you are doing. You are so talented to be redoing all this work.
I am still hoping to have mine fixed. I went to a vintage trailer gathering yesterday that I was supposed to be in and found someone who is going to look at my damaged baby and see if he can fix it. He lives in a nearby town and I am hoping he can help me. At least he could do the bodywork...I might be able to fix the inside. You are my mentor now!

[dawgpound]

Don't be distraught that the skins don't quite line up. It always happens when the skins are removed. It's just part of it. If anyone tells you that they didn't have ANY ISSUES reattaching the skins....they are BSing you.

A lot of times, when the side walls start to sag due to rotting corners and frame work, the aluminum skin starts to get disformed and stretches. When these little gems were rolling out of the factories, they weren't square and/or plumb. I have never worked on a vintage trailer that has had a square frame and floor. About the only thing that they seemed to make sure was straight and square was the axle!

The thing that you need to remember is how they were built. The floor was bolted to the frame and then the cabinets, (If the floor was just a little bit out of square, it would through out the entire body) The side walls were complete with the interior paneling and then attached. Ceiling panels were then installed, roofing spars attached....1/4" fiber insulation stapled to the entire exterior. The aluminum side walls were stapled into place and finally the aluminum roof was set into place....folded over and stapled to the side walls. If anything was out of square at the time of the roof being installed, it was corrected at that time....albeit still out of square.

I'm not an expert in this, however, I do have a few friends that are and were in the RV industry and do restoration work, as well.

[Gone Kayaking]

Thanks for the words of encouragement....that's what they were right, lol. I just need to figure out how to deal with it...and get a friend to help me figure it out....cause I am no carpenter. I can make things fit when I sew...and I know that this is basically the same thing.

I moved on to insulation in the areas that I've reinforced and will wait till I get some helpful eyeballs on the whole thing.